Signal



March 16 1926.

J. R. HILL SIGNAL Orizinal Filed April 15, 1925 Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITE.

JOHN R. HILL, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SIGNAL.

Application filed April 15,1925, Serial To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN R. HILL, a clti- Zen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals for railroad crossings and the like, the general object of the invention being to providemeans, actuated by a train or car, for notifying persons that a train or car is approaching the crossin f Anotlier object of the invention is to so arrange the parts that the signal will be set in operative position by a train approaching the crossing and then returned to inoperative position as the train passes over the crossing. a

A still further object of the invention is to make the device entirely mechanical and eliminate the use of all electrical appliances.

Still another object of the inventionis to make the device usable on a single track road with trains passing in both'di'rections.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like eral views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railroad track anda crossing.

Figure 2 is a section on line2-2 of Figure 1. V v

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the base part of the signal device.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the latch means.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the free end of one of the treadbars and showing its depending member in engagement with the latch member.

or-corresponding parts throughout the sev-' Figure 6 is a plan view showing one of the trip. members.

Figure 7 1s a section on line -7 ofFigure 6.

In these views, A indicates thetrack and No. 23,359. Renewed January 23, 1926.

position with. the arms at right angles to the crossing the raysof light from the lamp can be seen though the windows and an opening is formed in the bottom of the easing so that-some of the rays of light will illuminate the arms. Thus thesignal can be thoroughly seen at night as well as during the day. Vhen in inoperative position theshaft will be turned so that the arms will be parallel with the road or crossing and the blank sides of the casingwill face the road, so that. the signal partsgcaimot be seen by a person on the road. A drum 5 is fastened to the lower end of the shaft 1 and is arranged within the base 2 and a spring 6 is connected with said drum and with a part of the base and tends to hold the shaft with its signal parts in inoperative position. A horizontally arranged shaft 7 extends into the base and has a drum 8 on its outer end which is connected with the drum '5 bythe chain 9 so that the movement of the shaft 7 will be communicated to the shaft 1 through the drums and chain. A drum 10 is connected with theotherend of the shaft 7 :anda spring 11 connects said drum 10 with a part of a casing 12 which encloses the inner end of the shaft and the drum 10. This spring 11 tends tomove the drum 10 and the shaft 7 in a clockwise direction. and thus move'thedrum 5 and shaft 1 against the ac- 'tion of the spring 6 and to setv the signal parts in operative position. The casing 12 .1s placed onthe track'and the shaft 7 ex- .tends from this casing into the base 2 and said shaft is enclosed by acasing 12'. A

pair .of tread, members 13 and 13 1 are placed alongside thetrack adjacent the crossing,'themembersbeing pivoted to a part of the track'at their outer ends and their inner ends are connected together by the slotted link 14 onthe memb'er 13, engaging the stud 151on the member.13. :Thus the movement of one member will be communicated to. the

, othen These members are preferably of angle iron and are placed alongside one of the ra1ls of the track "so that they will be en gaged bythe-wheels of the train passing alongthe track and depressed by the weight of the train. Brackets 16 may be provided for guiding the members in their movement and springs 17 are used for holding the members in raised position. The member 13 carries av depending part 18 at its free end which is connected by a chain 19 with the drum 10 on shaft 7 and said member has a shoulder 20 thereon which is adapted to be engaged by a latch bar 21 pivotally arranged in the casing 12 and which has a spring 22 for holding it in latching position. Trips 23 and 23 are arranged an appreciable distance from the crossing, one at each side of the crossing, and these trips are connected by the flexible members 24 with the latch bar 21. The member which connects the trip 23 with the latch bar has a chain part which passes over a pulley 25 in the casing 12 so that the latch bar will be moved in the same direction when either member 23 or 23 is struck by a train. Each member is pressed outwardly against the rail by a spring 26 arranged in a casing'27 and each trip member has its edge, which faces the crossing, beveled, as at'28, so that tt lllttlll after passing the crosing and striking a trip member will simply move the trip member outwardly so that the wheel of the train will pass between the-trip member and the rail.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a train approaching the crossing will strike a trip member which willpull upon the flexible member 24: so that the latch '21 will be moved away from the depending part 18 which will enable the spring 11 to partially rotate the drum 10 and the shaft 7 and this movement will be co'mmun'icatedto the shaft 1 through the drums 5 andS and the chain 9 and thus the signal'parts will'be moved to operative position, as shown in Figure 1. This movement will also raise the "tread members 13 and 13 above the rail. This will indicate to persons on the road'that a train is approaching the'crossing. Then when the train reaches the crossing it will strike one of the tread members and depress the same so that the depending part 18 will pass to a position where the latch 21 can again engage the shoulder 20 to hold the tread members depressed after the train has passed andthis downward movement of the tread members'willalso cause the chain 19 to partially rotate the'drum'lt) and the shaft 7 and permit the spring 6 to'rotate the shaft 1 to a posi'tionwhere the signal parts will be in inoperative position. A'train approaching the crossing'fromthe opposite 'direction will operate the parts in a similar manner.

It will be seen that I have produced an automatic crossing signal which is wholly mechanical in its'action and which is ren- .dered active by a train approaching the .crossmgand mactlve when the train passes over the crossing. There .are no parts to be attached to the train and no electrical appliances are used.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features :of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. A signal of the class described comprising a signal member, a train operated tread member, means for normally holding the signal member in operative position and the tread member in raised position so that when the tread member is lowered by a train the signal will be moved to inoperative position, a latch member for holding the tread member in lowered position and a train operated trip member for moving the latch member to releasing-position.

2. A signal of the class described c01nprising a signal member, a train operated tread member, a rotary member, flexible means CODHGCClDQitlIG rotar'v member with the signal member, flexible means connecting the ro tary member with the tread member, yield able means for normally holding theparts in a position with the tread member raised and the signal member in operative position so that whenthe tread member is lowered by a train the signal will be moved to inoperative position, a latch member for holding the tread member in lowered position and-a train operated trip member for -moving the latch member to releasing position.

3. A signal of the class described comprising a vertically arranged shaft, signal means carried thereby, a horizontally arranged shaft. flexible means connecting the two shaft-s together, a train actuated tread member, flexible means connecting the same with the horizontal shaft, spring means for normally holding the parts in a position with the signal means in operative position and the tread member in raised position, a latch member for holding the tread member in loweredposition and a train actuated trip member for moving the latch member to releasing position.

4. A signal of the class described comprising a vertically arranged shaft, signal means carried thereby, a horizontally arranged shaft, drums on the shafts, a flexible member connecting the drums together,

a pair of train operated tread members, one of which has a depending part, a second drum on the horizontal shaft, a flexible member connecting said drum with the depending-part, spring means for holding the parts in a position with the tread members raised and the signal means in operative position, a latch member engaging the depending part for holding the tread members in lowered position, a pair of train op erated trip members and means for connecting said members with the latch member to move the same to releasing position when the trip members are operated by a train.

5. A signal of the class described comprising a signal carrying member, a pair of train operated tread members, means for normally holding the tread members in raised position and the signal member in operative position so that when the tread members are lowered the signal member will be moved to inoperative position, a latch member for holding the tread members in lowered position, a pair of train operated trip members, means for connecting said trip members with the latch member so that the latch member will be moved to releasing position when the trip members are actnated by a. train and means for permitting a train to pass bv the trip members without actuating the same when the train has passed the crossing.

In testimony whereof I atl'ix my signa ture.

JQI-IN R. HILL. 

